Tornados fall despite Patterson's perfect day, 11-2

Anderson, S.C. - Ron Patterson continued to swing a hot stick, going 4-for-4 in the Tornados’ SAC opener on the road against Anderson University, but the Trojans plated 10 runs in the first four innings as Anderson won at Memorial Stadium on Friday evening, 11-2.

Zack Simpson (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season, going 2.2 innings while giving up six runs as the Tornados (4-4, 0-1 SAC) fell for the first time in SAC action this season. T.J. Estes (2-1) went seven innings in getting the win for the Trojans (7-5, 1-0 SAC), scattering five hits, while striking out six.

The Tornados struck first in the top of the first. Patterson led off the game with a double to left field. Steele Myers, in his first game back from a wrist injury, was hit by a pitch to give the Tornados runners on first and second with none out. Ethan Pressley fouled out down the right field line, advancing Patterson to third, but Myers was thrown out at second base trying to advance on the play, giving the Tornados two outs. Zack Merriken brought Patterson home with a base hit up the middle, giving Brevard the 1-0 lead.

Anderson tied it up in the bottom half of the inning as Zack Reeves led off with a double down the left field line. A grounder on the right side moved Reeves over to third, where he scored on Blake May’s grounder to the shortstop to even up the score.

The Trojans would go on to score 10 unanswered runs, plating two in the second, three apiece in the third and the fourth, and a run in the bottom of the seventh to take control of the game.

Brevard would add a run in the eighth as Brett Brinson led off with a double down the left field line and Patterson brought him home with a base hit, but the Trojans answered with a final run in the bottom half of the inning to close out the first game of the three game set, 11-2.

The Tornados and Trojans will close out the weekend series tomorrow afternoon at Memorial Stadium, with first pitch of the doubleheader coming at 1 p.m.